Industrial laundry systems and methods

Abstract

A system and method of cleaning laundry in a washing vessel. A container is configured to hold a chemical that is granular and suitable for cleaning laundry. A tank receives the chemical from the container and a solvent to form a solution that includes undissolved chemical. The chemical can be an oxidant chemical and the solution can be saturated. A washing vessel that holds laundry is fluidly connected to the tank and a water source. The washing vessel receives the solution with undissolved chemical and another solvent to clean the laundry.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of cleaning laundry in a washing vessel, comprising:
 supplying a first solvent to the washing vessel;   selectively mixing oxidant chemical and a second solvent in a tank to form a saturated solution, at least some of the oxidant chemical being undissolved and mixed with the saturated solution to form a mixed solution that is suitable for chemically degrading soils in wastewater generated by the cleaning of the laundry by the mixed solution   injecting the saturated solution mixed with undissolved oxidant chemical from the tank into the washing vessel to cause the cleaning of the laundry by the mixed solution and by contact with the undissolved oxidant chemical to generate the wastewater; and   causing chemically degradation, by the oxidant chemical in the mixed solution, of soils in the wastewater in the washing vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a weight of the undissolved oxidant chemical that is mixed in the saturated solution is greater than a weight of dissolved oxidant chemical in the saturated solution. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the saturated solution is a supersaturated solution. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxidant chemical is granular, and the saturated solution is substantially free of builders and surfactants. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming an ionic surfactant solution separate from the saturated solution, the ionic surfactant solution including an ionic surfactant;   forming a non-ionic surfactant solution separate from the saturated solution, the non-ionic surfactant solution including a non-ionic surfactant; and   injecting the ionic surfactant solution and the non-ionic surfactant solution into the washing vessel.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mixed solution is a first mixed solution and injecting the saturated solution mixed with the undissolved oxidant chemical into the washing vessel includes
 mixing the saturated solution mixed with the undissolved oxidant chemical with a third solvent to form a second mixed solution mixed with the undissolved oxidant chemical; and   conveying the second mixed solution mixed with the undissolved oxidant chemical to the washing vessel.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming a mixed surfactant solution, the mixed surfactant solution including a non-ionic surfactant and an ionic surfactant, the ionic surfactant being an anionic surfactant; and   injecting the mixed surfactant solution into the washing vessel.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein an amount of the ionic surfactant is based on a washing temperature in the washing vessel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first solvent is water and an amount of the ionic surfactant is based on hardness of the water. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 supplying, to the washing vessel and during a pre-wash stage, citric acid and at least one of sodium bentonite or activated carbon.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 supplying a first solvent to the washing vessel is a first stage of the cleaning of the laundry in the washing vessel, and   injecting the saturated solution mixed with undissolved oxidant chemical from the tank into the washing vessel is a second stage of the cleaning of the laundry in the washing vessel.